21 November 2023 , 14:19
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Despite there being a relatively big age gap between them, the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Princess of Wales are said to be good friends - which The Mirror has previously reported is partly down to their similar middle-class backgrounds.
Both Sophie Wessex and Princess Kate married into the Royal Family after initially having their own careers and have both faced some difficulties with the bright spotlight that comes along with marrying a royal. Sophie, 58, did so quite a long time before Kate, 41, when she married Prince Edward in 1999 so she may well have had experience and advice that was helpful to the future Queen upon her own wedding in 2011.
One expert has said that the two even seem to share a "naughty" side to their friendship. Judi James, a body language expert, has previously explained to The Sun that in some of the photos snapped of the pair at public events may show how close their bond is and that they enjoy occasionally breaking away from the established formality of royal life.
Referring to one photo in particular from 2012, taken of the two women and Lady Louise Windsor at the Paralympic Games in London, Sophie can be seen throwing her head back and laughing, while Kate - who had pulled her hood up to keep her safe from the weather - faces her and giggles.
"Kate looks delighted to have made Sophie laugh like this and the slight nose-wrinkling suggests she thinks she is being rather naughty here," the body language expert claimed. Both Sophie and Kate are known to share the passions of photography and fashion, which led to a thoughtful gift being exchanged between the two women back in 2019.
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That year, the Daily Mail reported that after snapping a jumpsuit, Sophie quickly went back to the designer who had created the garment to get another version of the piece for Kate. "My friend, a stylist, is best friends with Sophie Wessex, and Sophie buys from us," the designer, Donna Ida, told the newspaper at the time, adding that Sophie "got our black Sadie jumpsuit for herself and then asked for one for Kate. She said 'Kate wants one, can I get one as well?'"
The Sadie jumpsuit retails for £325 and is available in blue or black denim, and features bracelet-length sleeves, fitted trousers, and a jacket-style top. Both women are maybe best known for their more formal and smart casual looks, given the nature of the royal engagements they most regularly attend, but Kate in particular is also known to opt for more casual looks like this one too.
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